FLORIDA CITY, Fla. — Police are investigating a shooting at an apartment complex in Florida City that, they said, left a child dead.
Florida City Police units were dispatched to the area of the South Point Apartments along West Lucy Street in response to a multiple gunshot detection alert, Saturday night.
While officers were en route to the call, investigators said, multiple 911 calls of a person shot were received.
Officers arrived to find the 9-year-old victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound and not alert.
“Like 15 minutes ago, they were shooting here,” one witness said in Spanish. “It looked to be one of the kids from the apartments here, and the ambulance took him away. I don’t know if he was dead, but they were giving him CPR.”
Officers immediately began lifesaving efforts until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units arrived. Paramedics airlifted the child to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Sunday night, family members of the deceased child gathered to create a small memorial.
The family identified the victim as Antavious Scott. They said he was a bundle of joy.
“He loves football, he loves laughing, he loves joking, he’s a nice kid. He loves being around his brothers and sisters and I’ll tell you like this, he loves his mom,” said Florida City Commissioner Walter Thompson.
Police said Scott was part of a group of individuals who had gathered outside of the apartment complex at the time the shots were fired.
Thompson said other kids were there too.
“People came in and they were shooting at somebody else and just somehow this young man got shot,” said Thompson.
Now, police are searching for whoever pulled the trigger as the family begins mourning the loss of their loved one.
“We’re sitting here with this mother right now and this mother’s grieving hard. They’re a close-knit family, she takes care of her kids,” said the family member.
Miami-Dade Police Homicide Bureau will be taking over the investigation.
If you have any information on this crime, call Florida City Police, Miami-Dade Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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